Anne of Green Gables Duty

Anne isn't a fan of cooking, sewing, or doing dishes. So she's normal. But, in Anne of Green Gables' Christian farm community, people, especially children, are expected to do their work without complaint.

It's not that Anne whines, or is ungrateful. She just hasn't been taught to hide what's on her mind, so when she doesn't like a chore, she says so. She tries to follow Marilla's instructions, but she keeps spacing out and messing them up.

Anne, we've been there.

By the end, Anne can make a cake without substituting something inedible for flour, and can help Marilla with chores when Marilla's eyes fail. It's not like she grows to love dishes or anything, but she's learned the tools she needs to be a working adult.

Questions About Duty

1. What household tasks make Anne's big imagination a liability? Are there other tasks she might be more suited to?
2. Why does Marilla feel the need to speak in morals every few seconds?
3. What quality does Marilla have that causes her to sympathize with Anne enough to keep her? Would Mrs. Spencer do the same if she heard Anne's history?
4. Is there a moment when Anne changes from Marilla's duty to someone Marilla genuinely likes?

Chew on This

Marilla's greatest strength as a new parent is that she's willing to admit that she doesn't know what she is doing.

Mrs. Lynde can take some responsibility for raising Anne, having helped both Matthew and Marilla with elements of their parenting.